Federal aid aimed at Alberta’s flood recovery and mitigation efforts will be a lengthy process that could stretch out over several years, said Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness.

At the Conservative national convention in Calgary, Minister Steven Blaney said Ottawa is committed to helping Alberta recovery from June’s devastating floods, but the magnitude of the disaster and subsequent government bureaucracy could mean long-term financial aid drags out over years.

“What is important is to make sure we get all the information that is needed in order so that we can provided that funding,” Blaney told the Herald.

“It’s a lengthy process that may take years,” he added. “But we are willing in that case to make up-front payments.”

Provincial estimates peg the cost of the spring flooding that tore through southern Alberta at approximately $6 billion, with the Alberta government on the hook for roughly $4 billion of that amount. However, the federal government is expected to cover a significant portion of the province tab.

Alberta recently asked the federal government for a $1-billion advance payment to cover flood mitigation projects. Ottawa is considering giving half that amount.

Blaney said any upfront payment needs to be discussed among federal civil servants “to make sure that we are being provided the information that is required.”

“At this point in time I wouldn’t comment on any specific number,” he said.

A provincial panel unveiled several proposals to prevent future floods like the ones seen in June. The recommendations, which could cost up to $830 million, include a large storm sewer running under Calgary and a lengthy diversion canal around the town of High River.

“We’re going to be starting with what projects we have available to us and the information we have,” Griffiths said.

The federal government will play a bigger role in addressing larger, cost-intensive, logistically complex flood mitigation projects, such as diversion canals, Griffiths added.

Long-term, the federal government is looking at developing a national mitigation program to protect Canadians against disasters, like the Alberta floods and the deadly train derailment in Lac Megantic, Que. earlier this year.

“What is really new and innovative is that we are willing to move forward with the provinces and territories so that we can, prior to any natural disaster, invest to mitigate those disasters,” said Blaney.

“This is an investment up front so we can save much, much more billions (of dollars) later down the road,” he added.

Similar national disaster mitigation plans have been on Ottawa’s radar since the late 1990s. Critics say the federal government talks a good game in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but ultimately fails to create a national program.

“We’ve seen this on the West Coast where we’ve had major earthquake and tsunami warnings and the feds pulled themselves away completely from that conversation to everybody’s frustration and concern,” said Nathan Cullen, MP for Skeena-Bulkley and Official Opposition House Leader for the federal NDP.

“There’s a moment when the cameras are on and the helicopters are flying and everybody’s there and we feel compassion,” said Cullen, who attended the Conservative’s convention in Calgary as an observer. “But if you really want to feel compassion for these situations then do something about it when the cameras are not on.”

Griffiths said Alberta wants to see Ottawa create a flexible, independent program focused on mitigation and isn’t tied to any existing program or fund.

“We want something that is flexible so the provinces can identify their needs,” Griffiths said. “The more prescriptive the program is, ‘This money is for berms or dikes’, it might cut out our retention dams, which we’re investigating as a very significant option in helping manage floods,” he added.

Calgary city Coun. Jim Stevenson said the federal government has been providing excellent support so far, but the typically snail’s pace of federal aid poses challenges for municipalities recovering from disasters.

“It takes forever for money to come through,” said Stevenson. “The action has to be taken now but the likes of Slave Lake, they’re still waiting for money there from the disaster they had.”

In many cases, these projects will take several years to develop and complete, and require long term contracts. And in order for that to happen, municipalities need guarantees of predictable, stable funding, said Stevenson.

“Half a billion, a billion, those are just figures,” Stevenson said. “We have to see some money flowing but then we have to have some guarantees of when the next money is coming so we can proceed. We can’t do little bits and say, ‘OK, we’ll do this part and wait.’ ”

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